When 7Z MAXI released his latest single, "Back From The Dead", the collision between the unforgiving pavement and the holy pulpit feels surprisingly organic. The Philadelphia-based solo artist, sometimes operating as Holy Boy Maxi, is tunneling straight back to the gritty, nostalgic energy of 2012 underground drill music. He is handing down a heavy, paradox-laden survival guide directed at the youth navigating treacherous environments...

Yung Fume and King Yanz have made something truly special with "Ray." It is like seeing two great artists work together on the same painting, each adding their own unique brushstrokes to make something that neither could have done on their own. King Yanz, an artist with Congolese roots who was born in Finland, has been making waves with his conscious hip-hop style. He...